This invention pertains to the field of gaming, and in particular to the operation of progressive games and gaming machines.
Gaming machines, and xe2x80x9creelxe2x80x9d slot machines in particular, have been an important, profitable and entertaining part of the gaming industry since its inception. The profitability of a gaming machine is partly determined by the xe2x80x9creturnxe2x80x9d of the machine, which, from a casino""s (or other operator""s) perspective is typically fixed. Therefore, to increase profits, a commercial gaming machine operator usually must increase the amount of gaming activity (or xe2x80x9chandlexe2x80x9d) its machines attract. Operators have found that increasing the attraction of and interaction with gaming machines, as well as the entertainment value of the gaming machines, increases gaming activity. Thus, operators are continually striving, and competing with one another, to increase the attraction, interactivity and entertainment value of their gaming machines, including progressive reel slot machines.
Therefore, what is desired is a method of increasing the attraction and interactivity of progressive reel slot machines and other progressive gaming machines to thereby increase the entertainment value and gaming activity associated with these machines.
Reel slot machines are distinguished from other gaming machines with coin xe2x80x9cslotsxe2x80x9d in that reel slot machines have a number of physical (or sometimes video) spinning reels with symbols (e.g., diamonds, oranges, etc.). Reel slot machines have a number of predetermined winning combinations which payout a certain amount when the combination appears on the xe2x80x9cpay linexe2x80x9d or other predetermined wining positions. Typically there is a xe2x80x9cjackpotxe2x80x9d winning combination and several lesser-paying winning combinations. The probabilities of hitting the jackpot and the lesser-paying winning combinations are fixed. The probability of hitting a lower-paying winning combination is greater than the probability of hitting a higher-paying winning combination. As will be explained further below, the xe2x80x9cexpected returnxe2x80x9d to the player of a reel slot machine having a predetermined jackpot amount is fixed.
The jackpot of a progressive reel slot machine increases with the amount of play the machine has received since the last payout of the progressive jackpot. Typically, the progressive jackpot is increased by a relatively small percentage of each bet (e.g., 1%). This is called the xe2x80x9cprogressive incrementxe2x80x9d. The probability of hitting the progressive jackpot is fixed and is determined by the manufacturer or operator of the machine. However, as will be explained in detail below, from a mathematical standpoint the xe2x80x9ccurrent expected returnxe2x80x9d (from the player""s perspective) of the progressive reel slot machine increases as the progressive jackpot increases. However, the player has no means to determine the return. The return of a progressive reel slot machine can be calculated if all of the critical parameters are known (such as the probability of hitting the progressive jackpot). However, casinos and other operators of progressive reel slot machines closely guard such information.
The invention comprises a method of operating progressive reel slot machines and other progressive games and gaming machines which allows players to determine the current expected progressive return of a given machine so that they can choose which machine they wish to play. Players will be attracted to such machines because they will be able to determine the current expected progressive return. The steps involved in determining the current expected progressive return would increase the interactivity of the players with the gaming machines. The process will entertain the players because they will have an active role in determining the return they receive for their bet.
Since the return of the progressive reel slot machine, from the operator""s perspective, is fixed and does not change with respect to the amount of the progressive jackpot, the operator is not concerned with which machine, out of a group of its otherwise equivalent progressive reel slot machines, is played. The operator benefits by the increase in traffic and the overall increase in play of the group of machines. The player benefits by being able to choose his/her expected return and by the increase in entertainment value of the gaming machine.
In practice, the method involves publishing (or posting), preferably on or adjacent to the machine itself, either the current expected progressive return itself or information to allow the player to calculate the current expected return of the machine. The amount of the progressive jackpot is typically displayed on the machine. In addition, the qualifying or xe2x80x9cmaximumxe2x80x9d bet required to qualify for the progressive jackpot is typically shown on the machine. The additional information required to determine the current expected progressive return of the machine is: (1) the probability of hitting the progressive jackpot, and (2) either (a) the xe2x80x9ctruncated returnxe2x80x9d of the slot machine (defined in the detailed description of the invention), or (b) the xe2x80x9cflat returnxe2x80x9d of the slot machine (also defined below) and the minimum xe2x80x9cresetxe2x80x9d value of the progressive jackpot. These numbers (collectively referred to as the xe2x80x9ccritical parametersxe2x80x9d) can be combined and/or encoded to limit the disclosure of the critical parameters of the machine, or can be in xe2x80x9crawxe2x80x9d form. The players are provided with a device to calculate the current expected progressive return based on the published critical parameters.
The invention also encompasses other methods which enable players to determine the current expected progressive return of a progressive reel slot machine. In addition, the methods are applicable to progressive reel slot machines having multiple progressive jackpots, and to other games and gaming machines having progressive awards, such as video poker, Caribbean Stud poker, progressive keno, and others.